Overnight Route 1 repaving to begin May 19, traffic shifted on Route 138 at bridge

Wheeler Cowperthwaite, Providence Journal
·1 min read

NORTH KINGSTOWN − Route 138 will be slimmed down to one lane in each direction for the next three months as it goes under Route 1, until at least mid-August.

Crews are working to replace the Route 1 bridge over Route 138.

Traffic on Route 138 near the bridge shifted to the left on Friday, May 17, and slim down to one lane in each direction for three months, according to a news release from the state Department of Transportation. Moving traffic to the left allows for crews to create new work zones in the shoulders.

All of the onramps and offramps will remain open during the three months of construction.

Route 1 bridge replacement part of Tower Hill Road improvement project

The Route 1 bridge, 55 years old, has been deemed "structurally deficient" and is being replaced, part of a $35.8 million Tower Hill Road improvement project. Crews will build the new bridge next to the old one, demolish the old bridge and slide the new one into place, referred to as an "accelerated bridge construction."

Route 1 being resurfaced

As part of the project, 6.5 miles of Route 1 are being repaved. The newly repaved portions of Route 1 will begin at the Route 4 split in North Kingstown and continue to the Oliver Stedman Government Center in South Kingstown.

Milling and paving on the first section, at Shermantown Road in North Kingstown, will begin on May 19 and continue through the summer, although the work will be done during the night to "avoid disrupting summer beach traffic."

Money for the project is coming from the federal Infrastructure and Improvement Act.

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Reach reporter Wheeler Cowperthwaite at wcowperthwaite@providencejournal.com or follow him on Twitter @WheelerReporter.

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Overnight RI Route 1 repaving starts May 19, lasts through summer